locks 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of lock
1
as in latches

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words
2
as in wraps

Related Words

locks

2 of 2

noun

plural of lock
as in certainties
one that is certain to succeed the governor is regarded as a lock for his party's presidential nomination

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of locks
Noun
Head into the remainder of the year with travel essentials that offer a little extra peace of mind, including luggage locks, portable travel safes, and personal alarms that can help deter pickpockets. — Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 2 Sep. 2026 Curtis has sequestered primary ballots in a room in the elections office in Redding, sealing the doors with locks and duct tape and telling reporters that the ballots did not look, feel or smell right. — Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026 Each of the four fold-out implements within the Helton chassis locks in place via a simple liner lock-style mechanism between the scales that secures the tool at the joint. — New Atlas, 1 Sep. 2026 What started as replacing lightbulbs and downloading a dimmer app has led to electronic locks, video doorbells and smart thermostats. — Jon Viner, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026 Formulated with antioxidant vitamin E to help defend against surface free radicals, this product locks in moisture to hydrate the skin without leaving a greasy residue and dries completely matte upon application. — Alison Abbey Hudak, Footwear News, 1 Sep. 2026 Season 13 of the franchise, which remains under wraps, sees the Canadian actor debuting blonde locks, as per recent paparazzi images. — Paul Chi, Vogue, 31 Aug. 2026 That combination—a hard deadline six years out and a Congress that can’t agree on next steps—is precisely what Shedden says is pushing clients toward the exits early, even though claiming at 62 locks in a permanently smaller monthly check for life. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026 Otherwise, the other five have been locks since early in training camp. — Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 31 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for locks
  1. latches
  2. wraps
  3. chains
  4. folds
  5. shuts
  6. twines
  7. fastens
  8. encircles
Verb
  • Both the containers and lids are made from glass, and the lids are sealed with food-safe silicone that latches into place on both sides for an airtight design without leaks.
    — Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 18 July 2026
  • Cici in the Sky also recommends Sabre’s portable door lock, which latches onto the strike plate to reinforce the existing lock.
    — Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 26 June 2026
Definition of latches
Verb
  • The result is a silhouette that—hence the name—actually wraps around the face like a heart.
    — Lucy Binder, Glamour, 30 Aug. 2026
  • After hair wraps around the inner piece, just pull it out, wipe it off, and pop it back in.
    — Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of wraps
Verb
  • Restaurant chains Chipotle and QDOBA pulled jalapeños last week.
    — Youri Benadjaoud, ABC News, 9 Aug. 2026
  • To address this, Ivo uses a multi-step pipeline that chains together more than 400 model calls for each contract review.
    — Charlie Fink, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
Definition of chains
Verb
  • The kitchen is nearby and is furnished with custom cabinetry offering lots of storage, along with a neat dining table that folds out when needed.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Most bankrupt airlines are purchased whole, including their data, by another airline which folds it into those operations.
    — Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of folds
Verb
  • Both failures are expensive in flood response, since a miss floods a warehouse and a false alarm shuts one down for no reason.
    — Sandy Carter, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • When Rhaenyra learns Helaena jumped to her death at the episode’s conclusion, Rhaenyra shuts the window, snuffing out the last of her compassion for her father’s other children.
    — Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of shuts
Verb
  • Even so, the Tower of Dimon, sitting at the intersection of finance and real estate, twines itself literally through the physical city, from the train tunnels below to the sidewalk and up to the skyline — and through its urban culture, too.
    — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 12 Nov. 2025
Definition of twines
Verb
  • Unique to the mid-top is a metal hook that fastens its collar strap, replacing the plastic hook traditionally seen on the Air Force 1 Mid.
    — Riley Jones, Footwear News, 16 Aug. 2026
  • My favorite detail is the red ribbon on Giovanna’s right shoulder, which fastens her sleeve to her dress and floats over the darkness.
    — Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
Definition of fastens
Verb
  • In May, the Georgia Department of Transportation closed a major section of the road, which encircles the city of Atlanta and connects much of the greater metro area, sending both intra- and interstate traffic through the city.
    — Irene Wright, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The paint color that encircles the wallpaper is important, but Chloe Redmond Warner says the bread should be the least exciting part of this sandwich.
    — Kelsey Mulvey, Vogue, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of encircles

Browse Nearby Words

lockouts
locks
locks horns
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Locks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/locks. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of apiary

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All